Floating Park

Recycled park is the proposal to retrieve plastic waste from the river the Nieuwe Maas just before it reaches the North Sea. The plastics are recycled to give new value to the river. From the plastics we will construct floating platforms for a new green environment; a floating park.

Plastic waste is a structural problem in open waters. Via rivers a subsequent part of plastic litter enters our seas and oceans, where it becomes part of the plastic soup. The Nieuwe Maas is an important European river that takes the pollution from the inland to the sea.

The initiative

The proposal is an initiative of WHIM architecture and the Recycled Island Foundation in collaboration with the Rotterdam municipality, Wageningen University (WUR), Better Future Factory, and HEBO Maritiemservice. The Rotterdam municipality has the desire to realize more green areas. Floating green can take an important role in this as a floating park or green shore. The plastics in the New Meuse are relatively fresh and have therefore a good recycling potential. Wageningen University researched the best recycling technique. HEBO Maritiemservice has the experience to clean the Rotterdam Harbour of floating litter and we will help to develop floating platforms to retrieve marine litter from rivers.

With the platforms, we will prevent the plastics entering the North Sea through the New Meuse.

A new life for plastic waste

The plastic is given a new value as floating capacity for green environments. Floating parks are a plus for the city of Rotterdam, but will also fulfill an ecological role in the river water. The building blocks are designed in such a way that not only nature can grow on top of it, but also that in the water new life will have its sole for existence as well. The bottom of the platform will have a rough finishing where plants can have enough surface to grow and fish a place to leave their eggs.